WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, September 27, Members of Congress will participate in a hearing with commissioners from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) to discuss USCCR’s recently released report on the state of voting rights in the United States. The discussion is jointly hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

Rep. Sewell took the House floor to remember the 55th observance of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church and to commemorate the lives and legacies of four precious little girls – Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Morris Wesley – who were murdered during that devastating attack 55 years ago. On September 15, 1963, at 10:22 am, the four girls were dressing to sing with the church choir when a bomb went off.

WASHINGTON, D.C.– On Wednesday, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) released a new report which examines the state of voting rights in the United States. The report finds that in states across the country, and in particular in states previously covered by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), voter suppression tactics are trampling minority voting rights. The Commission is unanimously calling on Congress to restore and expand voter protections in the VRA.

The National Park Service's (NPS) FY 2018 African American Civil Rights Grant Program (AACR) documents, interprets, and preserves the sites related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens in the 20th Century. AACR Grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by NPS, and fund a broad range of planning, research, and preservation projects for historic sites. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal matching funds.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, four members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) introduced the Secure Elections Act, which would provide local communities and state governments with the resources needed to strengthen election systems against cyberattacks. The bill was introduced by Reps. Tom Rooney (R-FL), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), and Jim Himes (D-CT), all of whom have played a role in the HPSCI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monday, August 6, marks the 53rd anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The VRA, which passed after the Selma to Montgomery marches exposed the brutality of voter suppression in the South, abolished discriminatory voting practices and required federal oversight of election changes in areas with a history of voter discrimination. In 2013, key components of the law were gutted by the Supreme Court in its Shelby County v. Holder decision.

On Wednesday, June 27, media are invited to join a #RestoreTheVOTE panel hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Civil and Voting Rights Task Force. This week marks the fifth anniversary of Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court decision that gutted parts of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

On Tuesday, December 19, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell along with Members of Congress from 18 of the 21 states targeted by Russian hackers in 2016, called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to take immediate action to protect state voting systems from cyberattacks and to bolster state election infrastructure.